1. Anna’s Shop. Welcome to

2. Hello! You might be thinking, ‘what’s Fairtrade?’ My name is Anna. I own a Fairtrade Shop. Well, let me tell you all about it.

3. When you go to the shops with your mum or dad, you may buy things that have travelled a long way! Things like coffee, tea, bananas and cocoa (which makes yummy chocolate) all travel long distances before they reach the shops.

4. Around the world, farmers and producers have to sell their products to earn enough money to survive. Fairtrade is different. It is a promise or ‘guarantee’ to producers that they will get a fair and steady price for their products. If the price of a product drops in the world market, it can be very bad news for farmers. They might struggle to buy food or to keep their children in school.

5. So why does Fairtrade matter to you?

6. Buying Fairtrade products is about using your power as a ‘consumer’ (someone who buys things). When people buy Fairtrade products it is a message to big companies that there is a better way to do business. When we buy Fairtrade products we show that we really care for others – no matter how far away they live!

7. Hello! My name is Ovidia and I am part of a Fairtrade cooperative in the Dominican Republic. Selling our cocoa through the Fairtrade market has helped us to set up a nursery so that we can grow most of our own food. Hi! My name is Ana and I am part of the El Guabo banana cooperative in Ecuador. We are passionate about healthy farming. After all, we eat the bananas ourselves! My name is Jethanda and I grow Fairtrade cotton in India. Fairtrade is great because I know that I will get a fair and steady price for my cotton. This means that I can make plans, I hope to set up a rainwater-saving programme in the future.

8. Now that I’ve helped you to learn about Fairtrade, CAN YOU HELP ME? Fairtrade can really improve people’s lives! That’s why I chose to open my Fairtrade shop.

9. Design a leaflet or a poster to persuade people that buying Fairtrade is better. It helps farmers and workers earn a fair wage for their products. The problem is that the supermarket across the road sells the same things as I do - but their products aren’t Fairtrade. I have to sell things for a few pennies more because I only sell Fairtrade goods.

10. Remember to look out for the Fairtrade mark when you are shopping!

11. Photos by: Tina Leme, Simon Rawles, The Fairtrade Foundation